be had
Idioms-
Be outwitted; also, be cheated, deceived. For example, This lawyer is a real shyster; you've been had , or I've become very cautious about these schemes; it's too costly to be had more than once . This expression employs the verb to have in the sense of getting someone in one's power or at a disadvantage. [ Slang ; early 1800s]
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Be bribed or influenced by dishonest means. For example, Our senator's incorruptible; he cannot be had . [ Slang ; early 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Reviews so far have been mixed, with the Guardian describing it as a "nostalgia-bait return", external which is as "strange and messy as the first" but with "warm seasonal pleasures to be had".
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
It shows that there is still plenty of diversification to be had within the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
“There’s a lot of fun to be had with AI and math. It’s not something that I’ve learned to have fun with yet.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Reading “The Wilder Way” might not overhaul your life, but it will surely help you see how easily a fuller one can be had.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
There were fish to be had on the ebb tide, too, though nowhere near as many.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
